THE EARTH AND ITS PREPARATION

Earth, along with water and fire, is the basic material which potters use to make objects. The earth is located in the mountainous Gavarres region in the form of clay deposits called terreres. Two types of clay – red and white - are taken from these deposits. The red clay is characterized by its plasticity and easy modelling when mixed with water, while white clay is rougher and more suited to the making of resistant objects.

Years ago, the earth arrived at the workshop with a wide range of impurities which had to be eliminated. The earth had to be strained using a sifting machine which mixed the earth with water and the same removed impurities by means of a sieve. The mix was then removed to a casting pit, where it was left to dry in the sun. To accelerate this process, the potter scraped the mud with a stick, drawing a crisscrossing pattern, and each square unit was turned and then removed (mud blocks) to expose the lower side to the sun. 

When the potter considered that the mud blocks had reached the appropriate dampness, they were taken to the storage area, ready for use.

At present there are specialized industrial firms which supply earth to the city’s factories and shops. These industries have also specialized in the preparation of sifted clay, thus suppressing one of the hardest, most complex processes of the pottery industry.